And you can use aliases, as in:

SELECT c.fName, c.lName
FROM Contacts c

The irony is that the first use of SQL in Filemaker, with the interaction
in 4.1 of ODBC, we did indeed have a fairly tradition, Excel-like
interface for building the queries. That was for the Execute SQL script
step, which is still useful.

John Weinshel

On 4/3/15, 1:56 PM, "BEVERLY VOTH" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>you can put 'literals' into your query and UNION the results, or just
>concat in your final result:
>
>Let (
>[ _header = "name,phone,email"
>; _query = "SElECT name,phone,email FROM ____ ..."
>; _result = ExecuteSQL ( _query, "", "" )
>]; substitute (_header; "," ; char(9) ) & ¶ & _result
>)
>
>my first row "_header" is comma separated literals or as you say, get
>from the function - I just find it easier to hard-code. Because this
>"row" is comma separated, I need to exchange the comma with a tab
>Character (or whatever delimiter is use in the eSQL. then because the row
>will appear before the eSQL result, add a return. Final append the result.
>
>beverly
>
>
>On Apr 3, 2015, at 4:11 PM, Brad Lowry <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Hi All,
>> 
>> I haven't posted in a million years.
>> 
>> (apologies ahead of time if I interchange column/field/attribute and or
>>record/row an so on)
>> 
>> I'm late to the ExecuteSQL party, but I've been using SQL for years in
>>MySQL, Oracle, Solid, through SmartPill and even MSSQL. Of course, SQL
>>is a Language (the 'L' in SQL). not a product so I am thrilled to be
>>able to use it out of the box in FileMaker.
>> 
>> However, every Query Tool I have ever used -- SQL Developer (oracle),
>>SQLpro (mac), phpMyAdmin (MySQL on web), even as far back as TOAD! --
>>they all had user interface where the returned data is (can be) returned
>>with the first row as column names.
>> 
>> I don't see this in FileMaker ExecuteSQL().
>> 
>> Thanks to Andrew Duncan
>>(http://www.databuzz.com.au/using-executesql-to-query-the-virtual-schemas
>>ystem-tables/) I know that if I absolutely had to, I could collect the
>>fieldnames for a particular table. I could even cobble together such a
>>first row -- but only where the query was SELECT * -- unless there are
>>more things to be done with those virtual tables.
>> 
>> Further, even though when using SQL Developer I am able see the first
>>row as column names (and export to csv etc), when I access such a query
>>within PHP for instance that 'first row' is not returned as such.
>>However, and more importantly, each attribute name is available within
>>the return set (resource) with a foreach loop or whatever.
>> 
>> The biggest drawback is column name aliasing. I just tried this query
>>(and it worked) before I began writing:
>> ========
>> SELECT 
>> id as hello
>> , name as world
>> , title  
>> FROM option_group
>> WHERE 1 = 1 
>> OFFSET 2 ROWS 
>> FETCH FIRST 5 ROWS ONLY
>> ========
>> 
>> Of course, this is a silly example. But imagine writing a report for
>>the Staff Directory:
>> SELECT TRIM(last) || ', ' || TRIM(first) as "Name" FROM staff_directory
>>ORDER BY last, first
>> 
>> Wouldn't it be much easier to build a report using the result if you
>>were able to access the ColumnNames of the result as *part* or the
>>result?
>> 
>> There are workarounds -- there are always workarounds -- populate
>>$$session variables to store your column names before you run the query:
>> $$columnname[1] = "Name"
>> $$columnname[2] = "Phone"
>> $$columnname[3] = "Email"
>> And then not use the ' as ' aliasing at all... however, since
>>ExecuteSQL *allows* it, it would make sense that it be natively
>>accessible.
>> 
>> Is there some 'RETURN_COLUMN_NAMES' argument hidden somewhere?
>> 
>> Thanks in advance.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Brad